Archive for May, 2012

When I turned 50, I asked my mom (who was 72 at the time) “when you were 50, how many people did you know who were dealing with cancer or who had already died from cancer?” Her answer: “no one.” She was, at that time, active in Junior League, Girl Scouts, and church. She had been in PTA when I was in school. No one that she knew well had died or had even fought cancer, at least that she knew of. I, on the other hand, had already lost a couple of friends and knew a dozen more who had undergone chemo and/or radiation. Eleven years later, the number is astounding and depressing.

So on this Memorial Day, I am taking some time to remember all my friends who, whether it was cancer, AIDS, or accident, are no longer here on this precious planet.

16. Some experts are really into legumes, some not. Soaking is essential. (and anytime I say “soak” I mean pouring water over the bean or grain, letting it sit overnight, and then pouring off the water and rinsing. If you want to go the extra mile here then you add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the soak water…I use whey from my kefir-making, but that is harder to come by).

17. Dairy is really best eaten raw: raw butter, raw milk, raw cheese (which is the easiest to procure, but is very acidic due to its concentration). The easiest dairy formost folks to digest is raw goat’s milk made into kefir or yogurt, with the temp never going above 105 degrees. It is untrue that you can’t make yogurt at that temp: I do it all the time! And speaking of probiotics, sauerkraut is great: but do not buy the canned, or cook the fresh. We are aiming for the “live” food here.

18. Certified organic extra virgin olive oil is best for raw use on salads (and that form is pretty much a guarantee that you are getting top quality, as adulteration in olive oil is rampant).

19. For cooking, use ghee or coconut oil (saturated oils are not damaged by heating; all the polyunsaturated oils are, and they’ve been messed with in manufacturing),

20. One of my favorite cookbooks for finding recipes that reflect the info I’ve given you is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. lots of way cool advice on how to do fermenting, bone broths, soaking, etc. plus “regular” recipes. If you pop onto my website ( www.irisherbal.com , you can click on books, find it there, and it will take you to Amazon.com.

21. Herbs and spices are medicine! Add lots to what you are cooking. Go ethnic! Play! We’re finding that common ordinary herbs and spices are incredibly active: anti-inflammatory, cancer-cell-death-precipitators (turmeric, for example), and they make meals taste better and more interesting, especially if you are cutting down or eliminating sugar.

Before we get to Part 2 of dietary basics, this just crossed my desk, and is an indicator of the toxicity of heavy metals (in this case mercury and aluminum) found in vaccines.

There is an “interesting” phenomenon going on now where many ”mainstream” scientists and doctors are ridiculing anyone who questions the “party line” on the “non”-toxicity of vaccines, GMOs, fluoride in water, artificial flavors, and high fructose corn syrup. Scientists in the employ of the companies making these products claim there is “no harm,” yet anecdotally and many studies are showing otherwise.

NaturalNews) If vaccines play absolutely no role in the development of childhood autism, a claim made by many medical authorities today, then why aresome of the most popular vaccines commonly administered to children demonstrably causingautism in animal primates? This is the question many people are now asking after a recent study conducted by scientists at the University ofPittsburgh (UP) in Pennsylvania revealed that many of the infantmonkeys given standard doses of childhood vaccines as part of the newresearch developed autism symptoms. For their analysis, Laura Hewitson and her colleagues at UP conducted the type of proper safety research on typical childhood vaccination schedules that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should have conducted — but never has — for such regimens. And what this brave team discovered was groundbreaking, as it completely deconstructs the mainstream myth that vaccines are safe and pose no risk of autism. Presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in London, England, the findings revealed that young macaque monkeys given the typical CDC-recommended vaccination schedule from the 1990s, and in appropriate doses for the monkeys’ sizes and ages, tended to develop autism symptoms. Their unvaccinated counterparts, on the other hand, developed no such symptoms, which points to a strong connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders. Included in the mix were several vaccines containing the toxic additive Thimerosal, a mercury-based compound that has been phased out of some vaccines, but is still present in batch-size influenza vaccines and a few others. Also administered was the controversial measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which has been linked time and time again to causing autism and various other serious, and often irreversible, health problems in children (http://www.greenhealthwatch.com) Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035787_vaccines_autism_monkeys.html#ixzz1uDE9Mu96

Reading opposing views about diet is like watching debates about political and economic issues: everyone is focused, passionate, and sure they are right. Facts are marshalled and tossed at one another like hand grenades. So what I’m presenting below is a biased (cause I’m doing it, and I am unable to be totally objective) collation of the info that seems most agreed upon by a variety of alternative researchers.

Basics:

1. Many believe that each person has a metabolic type: protein, carb or mixed. Many folks fall into mixed. The folks that do well as vegetarians and vegans tend to be carb types. (Protein types tend to function better on heavier intake of protein, especially meat; mixed is the combo plate; carb types really thrive on dairy and grains).

2. Organic really does matter. Eat as little conventionally raised food as possible, though local that is mostly organic (even if not certified) is excellent, especially since every day past the date that a vegetable was harvested means fewer nutrients. Fresh really is better.

3. Variety, in both kinds and colors is good. Rotating the eating of various kinds of meats, grains, pseudo-grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds helps reduce food sensitivities.

4. The amount of cooked and raw in any one person’s diet is dependent upon the following: season, climate, altitude, and a person’s constitution (most easily understood from a Chinese standpoint–at least for me–). So if someone has a cool, moist constitution, foods that are warmer and drier are “better” for that person.

5. All grains have a variety of problematic issues (gluten, lectins, etc.) and are best soaked over night, fermented, sprouted, reduced in quantity, or not eaten (celiac disease may be just the tip of the iceberg say these clinicians).

6. Fermented foods are very good for a variety of reasons and for a variety of bodily systems.

7. Balance of omega 3’s to omega 6’s is important: eating salmon (and sardines and herring), grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, walnuts and flax all help provide omega 3’s to balance omega 6’s from other nuts and seeds, grains (like corn), etc. There are some folks who cannot convert the type of omega 3’s in vegetable foods to a usable form in their bodies. They would need to ingest cod liver oil and/or the animal sources previously listed.

8. Pseudo grains (quinoa, amaranth, wild rice and buckwheat) are healthy, but must be soaked overnight (with that water discarded) for better digestibility.

9. Soak all nuts and seeds for better digestibility. I describe how in a previous blog).

11. Grilled and roasted is fine, but that wonderful tasting browned part is actually not so healthy…sigh.

12. No soy unless fermented (some folks can eat tofu till the cows come home and not have issues; however, many of us court thyroid and other problems). Tempeh and miso are healthy vegetarian sources of protein.

13. No peanuts unless organic, and not too many of them.

14. Reduce or eliminate coffee, alcohol, and recreational drugs. There is some research that has shown that most women do best on only one glass of wine a day. Make it Pinot Noir for highest resveratrol content. Coffee is a paradox: some do great, and studies show less dementia, better focus, less constipation, etc. Others get fibroids, acid reflux, and adrenal fatigue.

15. Bone broths are very important for healing from any major disease: see my blog for details on how to make.

Most importantly: prepare the best food you can afford with love and care; chew thoroughly; eat slowly; share a meal with a friend as often as you can.